Michigan AD Brandon likely a liar about uniforms

Posted on: June 9, 2011 5:00 pm

Posted by Jerry Hinnen

You wouldn't think a simple enough story like "Michigan's going to wear throwback uniforms for their historic night game against Notre Dame" would become a sordid tale of intrigue and deceit. But then again, these are college football uniforms we're talking about. They're that big a deal.

You might have noticed as much when the Detroit Free-Press first began the furor on May 20, by publishing this leaked image of the "model" for the throwback jerseys:

Most Wolverine fans were less than thrilled, since the uniforms didn't appear to actually throw back to any specific previous Michigan look. But not to fear: Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon was later asked, point-blank, if the Free-Press model was an "accurate representation" of the planned Notre Dame game uniform. His response? "No."

But with the unofficial unveiling of the throwback look set for tomorrow night -- it's even streaming online, if your idea of an exciting Friday evening is watching a media-centric announcement about college football uniforms over your computer, and whose isn't? -- it turns out that Brandon may not have been entirely honest about that. In fact, he probably wasn't being honest at all, to judge from this screen capture from the website of local Ann Arbor retailer the M-Den:

The item was pulled from the site almost immediately, with the M-Den's Twitter feed laterapologizing for an "error" and any "confusion" it might have caused. But with the apology pointedly not stating that the item was not the throwbacks in question and a promotional image from manufacturers Adidas showing the same block "M" as above, the chances of Michigan appearing against the Irish in anything other than the jersey pictured are mighty, mighty slim.

Which would make Brandon a liar. The image first published by the Free-Press was, in fact, an "accurate representation" of the planned throwback design; aside from the addition of the number on the front left chest (probably due to NCAA regulations which require numbers on both sides of the uniform), the jerseys are identical. (The coloration in the images is also different, but since Michigan just uses the one shade of "blue," that's easily chalked up to the vagaries of leaked digital imagery.)

Does it matter that Brandon was less-than-truthful about this? If he was ever going to lie about something, there's few things less damaging to lie about than a uniform issue. (The brand of sausages available this season at Big House concessions, or Brady Hoke's shoe size, maybe.) In the realm of stuff-that-really-actually-matters, no, Brandon's fibbing about a jersey is not a big deal.

But Wolverine fans are already more than a little hacked off about the uniforms in the first place. Learning that the athletic director responsible is perfectly willing to lie to their faces over any issue -- could he lie about something bigger next time? -- probably won't do much to help win them back over.

Michigan AD Brandon likely a liar about uniforms

We're going to throttle you guys for YEARS.... get your licks in while you can... and excuse me WHO is an EMBARRASSMENT to the big 10?! Look in the mirror...

Hoke is a Joke
Since: May 18, 2011

Posted on: June 11, 2011 10:43 am

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Since: Sep 17, 2006

Posted on: June 11, 2011 1:27 am

Michigan AD Brandon likely a liar about uniforms

HiaJ - Do my eyes deceive me, or is an OSU fan really lecturing a Michigan fan on integrity? OSU will be lucky to have 11 players eligible to play Michigan by the time November rolls around. How many days has it been since OSU has taken the field without using ineligible players? Maybe the NCAA will do the counting on that one. OSU is imploding due to Tressel's and Pryor's selfish actions, and you are still hung up on Appalachian State? That is just plain pathetic. I can only hope that you are actually someone engaging in a brilliant satirical impression of an OSU fan, and not the troglodyte that you appear to be.

Since: Sep 17, 2006

Posted on: June 11, 2011 1:16 am

Michigan AD Brandon likely a liar about uniforms

First of all, the final design as shown on the players tonight IS different than the one leaked by the Freep. The leaked pictures from the Freep looked like crap, and got people all bent out of shape over nothing. The design as worn by the players (and not accurately reflected in the MDen replicas) looks a thousand times better (), and most of the people on MGoBlog that were ticked about the MDen design are surprisingly supportive of the ACTUAL JERSEYS.

Second, why did Hinnen not include the whole quote from Brandon? ""No," Brandon said.Brandon said Michigan's uniform would combine "elements of a couple different eras," but emphasized that the final product has not been revealed." If indeed the jersey design had not been finalized at the time that Brandon was asked about the Freep leak, and other alternatives were still under consideration, then he was not lying. He may have been playing it a little coy, since the reporters at the Freep have had no problem playing fast and loose with the facts when dealing with Michigan, but that is not the same as lying. May he was lying, or maybe he issued a technically correct response ("no that is not an accurate representation because we are still tweaking the design" or "no, the real design doesn't look that crappy") that didn't tell the whole story. The point is that if the Freep pictures had been more accurate of the actual on-field design, there would not have been nearly as much consternation among the Michigan faithful.

Hoke is a Joke
Since: May 18, 2011

Posted on: June 10, 2011 7:52 pm

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Post Deleted by Administrator

Since: Jun 10, 2011

Posted on: June 10, 2011 1:53 pm

Michigan AD Brandon likely a liar about uniforms

Obsess about UM much? What a pathetic, inconsequential excuse for a human being you are. Now get back to the fryer line Hoke is a Joke. It's lunch time and I'm HUNGRY!!!

Hoke is a Joke
Since: May 18, 2011

Posted on: June 10, 2011 1:28 pm

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Since: Jul 6, 2008

Posted on: June 10, 2011 12:25 pm

Michigan AD Brandon likely a liar about uniforms

What do ya'll mean?! I love Brandon for landing Hoke.. and our new Defensive Coordinator... GO BLUE! (I'd buy one of those ugly uniforms too!)

Since: Jun 9, 2011

Posted on: June 9, 2011 10:03 pm

Michigan AD Brandon likely a liar about uniforms

"The image first published by the Free-Press was, in fact, an "accurate representation" of the planned throwback design; aside from the addition of the number on the front left chest..." Correct, and the Free Press in its report noted the number would be included in the top left, opposite the Adidas logo. So, it the report was 100% accurate.

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